Antique Chapel Cross, Oak Cross Faced With French Ivory, Sandalwood Inlay, Cast Bronze Corpus Christi, Circa 1900
This lovely cross was made for a chapel or nunnery and clearly hung there for many decades. I suspect above the fireplace as it was covered in soot and carbon when I found it. I do not usually clean antique items as I want them to retain their original patina of age. Ss it has had a wipe with a soft cloth just to remove all the dust and cobwebs.
This lovely chapel cross is in beautiful condition. So often these lovely crosses have been left in damp conditions and the facing lifts and separates. Here it is perfect as is the gorgeous marketry inlay that adorns the cross itself. The cross is clearly of oak and the inlay may well be sandalwood.
It is faced with French Ivory. French ivory is an early manmade material created to resemble expensive natural ivory. This faux ivory is made from celluloid, a cellulose and camphor thermoplastic dating to the 1860s, and widely used until the middle of the 20th century. It can be differentiated from natural ivory by its parallel lines rather than the crosshatched lines found in genuine ivory and by its lighter weight.
The chapel cross measures 30.5 cms by 16 cms.
The Corpus Christi is 11 cms by 8 cms. It has a bronze ring inserted into the rear for wall hanging.
This lovely cross was made for a chapel or nunnery and clearly hung there for many decades. I suspect above the fireplace as it was covered in soot and carbon when I found it. I do not usually clean antique items as I want them to retain their original patina of age. Ss it has had a wipe with a soft cloth just to remove all the dust and cobwebs.
This lovely chapel cross is in beautiful condition. So often these lovely crosses have been left in damp conditions and the facing lifts and separates. Here it is perfect as is the gorgeous marketry inlay that adorns the cross itself. The cross is clearly of oak and the inlay may well be sandalwood.
It is faced with French Ivory. French ivory is an early manmade material created to resemble expensive natural ivory. This faux ivory is made from celluloid, a cellulose and camphor thermoplastic dating to the 1860s, and widely used until the middle of the 20th century. It can be differentiated from natural ivory by its parallel lines rather than the crosshatched lines found in genuine ivory and by its lighter weight.
The chapel cross measures 30.5 cms by 16 cms.
The Corpus Christi is 11 cms by 8 cms. It has a bronze ring inserted into the rear for wall hanging.
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